What's in the issue

The look of love… or hate, or much besides - birds convey myriad messages via their eyes. So much can be expressed by the colour of the iris, and this week we delve into the fascinating science that explains how and why eye-colour is used in bird behaviour. Otherwise, we’re strong on parrots: magnificent macaws getting help in Colombia and cute cockatiels as perfect aviary subjects. Scots, Border and Gloster canaries all feature; we have regular bulletins on zebbies and the North-East region. And to get us in the mood, we revisit some classic Xmas advertising Cage Birds-style.